Obituaries

Julia Valdez Alanis, 79, long-time resident of Mabton
passed away peacefully Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006, at her home with her husband and
children by her side.

She was born Jan. 15, 1927 in New Braunfels, Texas to
Leonardo and Francisca Valdez. Her early childhood was spent in Elsa,
Texas.

She and her family would migrate
to Montana to pick cotton, and, in 1941, her and her family moved to Mabton. In
March of 1945 she met the love of her life, Bonifacio T. Alanis and they were
married Dec. 19, 1945 in Ochoa Tam, Mexico. They made their home in Mabton,
where they raised their children.

Julia was a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother,
great- grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She enjoyed sewing, was an
excellent cook and any time she had visitors they never left hungry. Julia
loved gardening, yard sales and secondhand stores.

Julia loved the Lord, and was a member of the Immaculate
Conception Catholic Church of Mabton.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Bonifacio T.
Alanis of Mabton; three sons, Barney (Arlene) Alanis Jr. of Tacoma, Leonard
(Suzie) Alanis of Kennewick and Eddie Alanis of Mabton; seven daughters, Jane
(Nati) Saenz of Grandview, Ortencia (Benjamin) Alvarez of Royal City, Texas,
Anna (Kerry) Desmarais of Sunnyside, Elizabeth (Ruben) Angeles of Yakima,
Frances Gama of Sunnyside, Sylvia Moctezuma (Carlos Cortes) of Sunnyside, Julie
(Lorenzo) Duran of McMinnville, Ore.; 34 grandchildren; and 60
great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two brothers, Jesus (Juanita)
Valdez of Burien and Louis (Anita) Valdez of Yakima; five sisters, Jacinta
(Frank) Ortega of Dallas, Texas, Feliciana Tijerina of Pasco and Ernestina
(Domingo) Castellanos, Cruz (Estanislado) Hernandez and Dora (Salvador) Mesa,
all of Sunnyside; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Leonardo and
Francisca Valdez; one brother, Roberto Valdez; two granddaughters, Cindi Lynn
Saenz and Maria Christina Alvarez; two grandsons, Adrian Vicente Alvarez and
Antonio Barboza Jr.; and one son-in-law, Angel Lopez Sr.

Julia was the rock that held the family together. She will
be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Thank you to a very special granddaughter, Miki who was
there for our mother since day one.

Viewing and visitation will be held Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006,
from 4 to 8 p.m. with a Rosary to be recited at 7 p.m. at Smith Funeral Home,
Sunnyside. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2006, at
11 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Grandview, with burial to follow
at Mabton Cemetery. Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

She was born May 14, 1919 in Aremeria Colima to Sebastian
and Altagracia (Barreto) Avila. She later met and married Atenogenes Valdez.
They moved from Mexico to Visalia, Calif. in 1985. They settled in Washington
in 2000.

She loved to sing, cook and sew. She prayed her Rosary
every day for everyone she knew and loved.

We will always love and miss her.

She is survived by her children, Margarita Arteaga and
husband, Elias, of Mexico, Antonio Valdez and wife, Magdalena, Jesus Valdez and
wife, Minerva, and Maria R. Valdez, all of Mabton, Maria Nava and husband,
Jose, Raquel Ochoa and husband, Ramon, all of California, and Miguel Valdez and
wife, Debra, of Pennsylvania; 28 grandchildren; 53 great-grandchildren; and 12
great-great- grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Atenogenes
Valdez; two sons, Francisco and Juan Valdez; and one daughter, Guadalupe
Valdez.

Viewing and visitation will be held Wednesday, Jan. 18,
2006, from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a Rosary to be recited at 6 p.m. at Smith
Funeral Home, Sunnyside. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, Jan.
19, 2006, at 10:30 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Mabton,
with burial to follow at Mabton Cemetery. Smith Funeral Home is in charge of
arrangements.

MARTINA GROENEWEG

Martina Groeneweg, 63, of Outlook, our dear wife, mother
and grandmother, went to be with the Lord Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006, after a long
and courageous battle with cancer.

Martina was born Jan. 13, 1943, in Barneveld, Gelderland,
the Netherlands, to Evert and Henrietta Veldhuizen. In June 1947, she
immigrated to America with her family. They settled in Lynden, where Martina
received her education and graduated from Lynden Christian High School. She
then attended Dordt College, where she earned her elementary teaching degree.
She took a job at Sunnyside Christian School and moved to Sunnyside, which is
where she met her future husband, Pete Groeneweg. They were married Feb. 28,
1964. Together they lived and farmed on North Outlook Road for more than 40
years, where they also raised their four children.

Mom was a dedicated and loving wife and mother. She taught
by example and deep faith, and instilled many lasting values in her children.
Even through her pain and suffering from cancer the last one and a half years,
she was positive and always concerned about others.

Martina was a long-time member of the Sunnyside Christian
Reformed Church, where she was a Sunday school teacher for many years, and was
also involved in Coffee Break Bible Study, Project Reachout quilting, and other
areas as well. She also volunteered at the Sunnyside Christian School Thrift
Shop, where she made many friends.

Mom was always busy, working around her home or on various
projects. She enjoyed sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, reading and
gardening, as well as cooking and trying new recipes. She enjoyed spending time
with her family.

She was always eager and never too busy to lend a hand. She
touched many lives and helping others brought her much joy. She always met
challenges head on and with optimism. She was quick to encourage and slow to
pass judgment.

Martina is survived by her husband, Pete Groeneweg of
Outlook; her four children and their spouses, Janice and Ruben Tovar of Selah,
Bob and Hester Groeneweg of Outlook, Patsy and Bill Underwood of Sunnyside, and
Leroy and Sara Groeneweg of Zillah; seven grandchildren, whom she dearly loved,
Jason, Ashley, and Zachery Tovar, Ryan and Tyler Groeneweg and Michael and Kyle
Underwood. Also surviving are her two sisters; Gert Huisman and Jennie Bosch; and
two brothers, Evert Veldhuizen, Jr. and Tony Veldhuizen, as well as many
nieces, nephews and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and two sisters,
Wilma Adema and Henrietta Honcoop.

Our family would like to thank Dr. Albert Brady and his
staff, the nurses on 2E at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, and the Infusion
Care nurses for the kind and compassionate care they provided our wife and
mother.

Viewing and visitation will be held Thursday, Jan. 19,
2006, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Smith Funeral Home, Sunnyside. Funeral services will
be held Friday, Jan. 20, 2006, at 2 p.m. at Sunnyside Christian Reformed
Church, Sunnyside, with burial to follow at Lower Valley Memorial Gardens.

To honor her memory, memorials can be made to Sunnyside
Christian Thrift Store. Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.